


Lean on Me

by marner4C



Series: Mitch Marner Whump [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Child Abuse, Chronic Illness, De-Aged, F/F, M/M, basically just life kicking mitchs ass, child molestation, johns on the team hes just irrelevant in this story, mitch opens up about his childhood, projecting? U bet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 15:59:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18369311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marner4C/pseuds/marner4C
Summary: Mitch is 15 again, and through a sequence of events the boys come to find out more about his childhood





	Lean on Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very intense(?) maybe story where Mitch explains his past trauma. There is mentions of rape but nothing graphic, same for the abuse. Bascially, this is turning into a verse cause I love to make mitch suffer for some odd reason. Comes about a year after Father to Son.

Naz groaned into his pillow as a ringtone blasted from his phone. He could hear his wife mumbling from next to him about turning it off but he was to busy wishing death upon the person calling to actually do it. 

“Nazem if you don’t make that stop I’m divorcing you,” Ashley said from where she was blocking her face with a pillow. Naz rolled his eyes before sitting up and grabbing his phone. He didn’t even bother looking at who was calling before picking up. 

“Why in god’s name are you calling me on a day where I was allowed to not go to practice?” Naz asked the mystery caller. 

“Uh-holy shit is this actually Nazem Kadri?” Naz’s face scrunched in confusion before looking at the caller id. 

“Marns what the fuck? Why do you sound like you haven’t hit puberty?” Naz asked, taking his conversation to the next room for the sake of Ashley. 

“I’ve totally hit puberty! My voice is still just squeaky! The real question here is why is your name in my phone? I’m not against it or anything but-“. 

As Mitch was rambling on Naz started to notice the difference in Mitch’s speech, his voice wasn’t as deep, he was hesitating or stumbling every few words and now he was asking dumb questions. 

“Mouse, you feeling okay?” Naz asked, effectively cutting off Mitch’s rambling. Mitch paused before speaking again. 

“I-I just don’t know where I am, and there’s all these peoples names in my phone and I don’t know any of them except for Strome, McDavid and Eichel but I’m not close enough with McDavid and Strome hates me and Jack’s at a tournament in Boston. I recognized your name cause you play for the Leafs so I decided to call you? It’s stupid I’m sorry- I shouldn’t have called,” Mitch rambled, becoming more anxious through the mini speech he had just delivered. 

Naz’s brain ran at a thousand miles per hour trying to figure out what could be wrong with Mitch. Him and Strome were best friends and he was close with McDavid, and Eichel definitely wasn’t in Boston considering the Sabres were here to play the Leafs tonight. Then, there was the issue of him not knowing where he was, which just brought Naz to a whole new level of worried for the kid. He desperately tried to diagnose the kid before it hit him. 

“Kid, how old are you?” Naz asked, hoping that what he was saying wasn’t the case. 

“15, why?” Mitch asked him. Naz cursed before running back to his bedroom and putting on a shirt and pants. He got a weird look from Ashley but he waved her off. 

“Kid, stay where you are I’m coming to get you. Don’t text anyone or let anyone inside without clear confirmation that it’s me. Also, don’t look on social media you’ll just get confused. I’ll be there in fifteen,” Naz said. MItch gave back a small okay before he hung up the phone. 

Naz grabbed his car keys and ran out the door, sending a text to coach that they had a problem and he and Mitch would be showing up to practice late. 

Admittedly, he might have blown a few stop signs and was definitely went above the speed limit but he was panicked, okay? That kid was in an unfamiliar place with a lot of adult things around him, for all Naz knew he could be trying to cook scrambled eggs and start a fire. 

Eventually he pulled into the visitors parking garage and went running into Mitch’s apartment building. He didn’t bother with the elevator and took bounding leaps up to the 16th floor (which when Mitch was back to normal he would be giving him a solid punch for living so high up). 

Once he made it to Mitch’s door he pounded on it, “Mitchy! It’s Nazem, open up!” 

There were a few seconds of silence before the door hesitantly opened. Naz stared at the empty space that was eye level with him before looking down, where Mitch was. The top of Mitch’s head just barely made it to where Naz’s chest met his neck. 

“Uh, hi?” Mitch said, looking up at him with what he thinks is amazement and a bit of fright. 

Naz was about to speak, before he saw Mitch’s level of dress. 

“Kid, where’s your clothes?” Naz asked, quickly stepping into Mitch’s apartment and shutting the door, locking it for good measure. 

“Well none of it fit me and what I woke up in had blood on it from last night and is also ripped to all hell, and I was only wearing boxers to begin with so-“ 

“Blood? Why was there blood?” Naz asked, panic awakening in his chest. Mitch’s eyes went wide before he looked down at the floor, his entire posture shrinking. 

Naz was confused until he remembered what Mitch had revealed to the team last year. 

“Was it your dad?” Naz asked, trying to make his voice comforting and reassuring. MItch’s entire body tensed before he hesitantly looked up at Naz. 

“You know?”Mitch asked, voice wobbly and scared. Naz nodded and set his keys down on the counter. 

“Kid-“

“You can stop calling me that, my names Mitch,” Mitch said, a teasing tone in his voice. Naz cracked a smile before walking past him. 

“I’ll explain everything that’s going on but you need clothes. There’s gotta be something in here that’s bound to fit you,” Naz said, leading Mitch to his bedroom. 

They spent the next few minutes digging through Mitch’s messy drawers before he found something that almost made him leave the kid here alone. 

“Why in the fuck do you have a Boston sweater?”Naz asked in disgust, throwing the item toward Mitch reluctantly. It was the only item of clothing that looked at least close to his size. 

Mitch’s cheeks turned scarlet as he held the sweater. 

“It’s uh-a good friends,” Mitch stuttered out like a liar. Naz raised his eyebrow and stared Mitch down. Mitch held eye contact before dropping it. 

“It’s my boyfriends, he’s from Boston and I stole this the last time I went to visit. I don’t wear it in public I swear!” Mitch said nervously, tensing his body as if preparing for a blow. Naz felt his hands twitch and really wished he could’ve gotten to Paul Marner before he was in the hospital. 

“It’s fine, Mitch. I don’t care. Who’re you dating?” Naz asked as he started looking through the pants drawer. 

“Uh-his names Jack,” Mitch mumbled, his cheeks staying a rosey color. Naz almost gasped as he turned to look at Mitch. 

“You and Eichel?” Naz shouted. Mitch flinched back before nodding. Naz chuckled before bringing out a pair of pants. 

“Try these,” Naz said as he tossed them to Mitch. Mitch tried them on, and luckily they fit. Naz stuffed everything back in the drawers before sitting on Mitch’s bed, Mitch following after him. 

“Okay, Mitch, I’m about to explain a lot to you and I don’t want you to be worried or scared cause I’ve got you alright? Your dad’s in jail and your mom is on a month long trip to Thailand, and it’s only the sixth so we aren’t going to bother her,” Naz explained to him. Mitch;s eyebrows furrowed and he bit his lap before nodding. 

Naz took a deep breath before speaking, “Mitchy, you regressed in age, it’s a common thing that happens in the NHL when a player is hiding an injury for too long. That’s what happened to you. Right now the year is 2020, you’re 22 and this is where you live. Oh! Also you’re a Maple Leaf,” Naz explained to him. Mitch sat in silence for a few seconds before his eyes filled with tears. Mitch smiled before wiping them away before the tears could even fall. 

“I’m actually good enough to make it in the big leagues?” Mitch asked, his smile bright enough to blind the entire province of Ontario. Naz felt more anger towards Paul before he smiled. 

“You’re one of our best. Basically the only reason we made it to the second round of the playoffs last year,” Naz said to him. Mitch’s smile grew before he looked down at his sweater. 

“Do you know if Jack and I are still together?” Mitch asked in a small voice. Naz felt his smile drop a bit. 

“Sorry Mouse, you’re actually taken by someone else. But you and Jack are still friends, I think,” Naz told him. Mitch’s smile seemed to drop at that before he shook it off. 

“Okay. And you said my dad was in jail?” He asked, and Naz paused as he tried to think of how to answer this. 

“Last year, when we had our annual fathers trip something happened and you confessed that he abused you, which prompted him being arrested. He’s in for third degree abuse and child molestation, he’ll be in there for at least five years,” Naz said. Mitch’s entire body locked up when Naz mentioned the molestation. 

Mitch still hadn’t talked to any of them about that, and the only reason they knew was because the news did a story on it-which Mitch had been extremely upset about. He refused to discuss it with the media and still didn’t feel comfortable discussing it with anyone but Marty, Patty, and Auston. Naz respected his boundaries and left him alone. 

“What do we do now?” Mitch asked, having relaxed his body a bit more. Naz blinked before realizing what he meant. 

“Oh! Uh I don’t know actually, I think I’ll drive you to the arena and get you checked out by the trainers and figure out what we should do now. So, let’s do that, eh?” Naz said, standing up. Mitch went to follow but groaned and winced as he stood up. 

“What’s wrong?” Naz asked, watching as the kid tried to erase the pain off his face. 

“Uh, dad wasn’t too happy last night and took a baseball bat to my ribs,” Mitch said sheepishly, holding his side as he stood up. Naz blinked back to when Mitch wasn’t wearing a shirt and tried to see the bruises. 

“I was crossing my arms earlier. That’s why you didn’t see the bruises. I know how to hide bruises well, it’s how I’ve grown up,” Mitch said in explanation, seeming to know what Naz was thinking. 

Naz nodded before walking back to the kitchen and grabbing his keys. 

“Ready to go meet some Leafs?”Naz asked. Mitch’s eyes widened before he nodded, looking very similar to an excited toddler. 

-

“Holy fucking shit,” Mitch whispered as he stepped into the practice arena. 

“Language,” Naz said as he gave Mitch a little shove. Mitch blushed before continuing to look around the arena as if he had never seen a hockey rink before. 

“Mitchy, stand behind me, eh? Don’t want you to see something you can’t see yet, or could get us in trouble,” Naz said, pushing Mitch behind him. Mitch gave him a funny look. 

“Dicks could be out,” Naz said before pushing the doors open. 

“Everyone cover up! We’ve got young eyes coming in!” Naz yelled. 

Quickly there were shouts back at him but the loudest one was Auston. 

“Naz! Have you seen Mitch? He isn’t answering his phone and he’s never missed a practice before,” Auston said, sounding concerned for his boyfriend. As Naz was going to answer Coach appeared in front of him. 

“What did your text mean, Kadri?” Coach said, in his usual no nonsense tone. Naz gave a nervous smile before reaching behind him and bringing Mitch in front of him. 

Mitch looked up at Coach in surprise, “aren’t you Detroit's coach?” 

Naz laughed before putting a hand on Mitch’s shoulder. 

“Everyone, meet Mitch! Mitch, meet everyone!” Naz said in an excited voice. The room went dead silent before Coach spoke up. 

“So Marner was hiding an injury, any idea what it was?”Coach asked in a tight, angry voice. Mitch tensed at the tone of voice, moving closer to Naz. Naz looked down at Mitch, patting his shoulder encouragingly. 

“You’re fine Mitchy,” he mumbled before looking back at Coach. 

“No idea, but he needs to get his ribs checked out,” Naz said as he lifted up Mitch’s shirt a little to try and show his probably blackened ribs. Mitch yelped and jumped away, pulling the sweater down. Naz realized his mistake before throwing his hands up. 

“Sorry Mitchy, should’ve asked. But you need to get those checked out. A baseball bat has got to do a lot of damage,” Naz said, in a concerned tone that was becoming normal for how he was talking to Mitch. Mitch quickly shook his head, starting to give nervous glances to all the men around him. 

“We actually can’t, the condition he regresses in is not to be tampered with, and it will change every day that he is regressed. We can’t treat him,” Paul, their medical trainer, said as he came up next to Coach. He gave a little wave to Mitch, which Mitch returned. 

“It’s fine, I’ve played with a broken arm so I guarantee I can do whatever I need to with some bruised ribs,” Mitch said proudly. Mitch then walked back over to Naz, becoming uncomfortable with his positioning away from Naz. 

“Everyone keep getting dressed, Mitchy I’ll try to find some gear that’ll fit you. No point in not practicing,” Coach said before walking away. Naz and Mitch shared a look before shrugging.

Everyone kept staring at the pair before Mitch tugged Naz down to whisper in his ear. 

“Which one am I dating?” Mitch asked. Naz laughed before pointing at Auston, who was staring wide eyed at Mitch. Mitch blushed before looking at Naz with an amazed look. 

“I think I’m out of my league here there is no way I got someone that hot to date me. It’s a miracle in itself I’m dating Jack,” Mitch said. Naz full on laughed and brought Mitch to his stall so he could get ready. Mitch looked confused. 

“Where’s Kessel?” Mitch asked. Naz sighed. 

“Traded.” 

“Bozak?” 

“Traded.” 

“JVR?” 

“Guess.” 

Mitch laughed,”wow we must suck without Kessel. You and him hold the team on your backs.” There were a few laughs around the room in response to that comment. Mitch continued his scan of the room before he let out a squeak like noise and dove behind Naz. 

“Mitchy what’s wrong?”Naz asked, a bit panicked. The rest of the team looked panicked as well at the teens sudden mouse like outburst. 

“You didn’t tell me Matt Martin was here!” Mitch whispered angrily. Naz looked at Marty, who looked like he desperately wanted to come over to them. He then looked back at Mitch. 

“Uh, yeah, you and him are really good friends, why?” Naz asked. Mitch blushed and snuck another look at Marty. 

“Only friends? Like nothing else ever happened, or?” Mitch asked, talking as quietly as possible. Naz looked at Mitch in surprise. 

“Gotta little crush huh?” Naz asked in a teasing tone. Mitch blushed before sitting on the bench. 

“All I’m saying is that if I didn’t do something before I got with whoever that is, I will never forgive myself,” Naz burst out laughing at that. 

“Okay, I need to address the elephant in the room. Why in the world are you wearing a Bruins sweater Mitchy?” Willy asked, scrutinizing his sweater. Mitch laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, his blush reappearing. 

“It’s-uh, it’s my boyfriends. It was the only thing we could find that would fit me,” Mitch said, throwing an awkward glance Austons way. Auston’s jaw clenched a bit, but Naz knew he was a jealous person so he just laughed again. 

“Oh, a boyfriend, eh? What’s the boy's name?” Willy asked. Mitch went to say it before Naz nudged him, shaking his head. Jack and Auston had an intense rivalry going on. They didn’t need this to fuel it. 

Willy pouted at Naz before introducing himself. 

“I’m Willy, the one next to me is Kappy,” he said, pointing to Kappy, who was currently stuck in his jersey. Mitch gave a wave. The locker room went around introducing themselves, Mitch getting a bit starstruck at Patty before they got to Marty. 

“I’m Marty, we’re best friends,” Marty said with a big confident smile. Mitch's blush made its millionth appearance before he gave a tiny wave back. Marty looked confused before he looked at Naz. 

“He’s got a bit of a crush Marty,” Naz said. Mitch gasped and slapped him. Marty's eyebrows rose in surprise before nodding, a smirk appearing on his face. Then, it went to Auston. 

“I’m, uh, Auston. Your boyfriend,” Auston said awkwardly. Mitch smiled at him before waving. 

“I don’t feel any like sparks or anything but you’re hot,” Mitch said. The rest of the team erupted in laughter and chirps. Naz made a mental note to fine Mitch for that once he returned to normal. 

The team continued shooting the shit for a few minutes before MItch’s eyes slammed shut. That caught Pauls attention. 

“Mitchy, what’s wrong?” He asked, kneeling in front of him. Mitch put his head in his hands and groaned, rubbing his temples. 

“Really bad headache, the lights hurt,” Mitch mumbled. Paul cursed before looking back at Coach. 

“He was hiding a concussion. People who are regressed normally start showing symptoms a day or two in but, Mitch’s showing them now,” Paul said. Coach took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Matthews, you know about this?” He asked. Auston shook his head, looking horrified. 

“He had been having headaches, but I didn’t think-he didn’t say anything,” Auston said. Mitch looked at Naz with eyes that look far older than his age. 

“He hides pain and injury well. It’s cause of his dad,” Naz said. The room went silent, the tense, angry atmosphere that came up whenever Mitch’s dad was mentioned. 

“I thought that when I got older I would learn to talk about my shit more,” Mitch said with a laugh. He blinked a few times before he looked like he was back to normal. 

“Can I still practice with the team?” Mitch asked. Paul sighed and shook his head. 

“Sorry kid, but you have concussion symptoms,” Paul said. Mitch groaned, knowing what that meant. 

“So what am I supposed to while he practices?” Mitch whined. Paul chuckled before Coach called them out for practice. Naz gave a tap to Mitch’s legs with his stick before he followed the team out. 

-

The boys were clearly having fun with Mitch. Mitch had spent the day with Naz, he went through Naz’s pregame routine and now he was in the locker room with them as they prepared for the Sabres game. 

Mitch was explaining his most recent goal from his game last night before there was a knock at the locker room door. One of the trainers went to get it. 

Mitch watched the door before he gasped. 

“No fucking way,” Mitch said. Jack Eichel then walked into view. 

“Wearing my sweater? Didn’t know you still had that Mitchy,” Jack said, a confident smirk on his face. Jack clearly made a point to look at Auston as he walked over to Mitchy. 

“He’s 15,” Auston said in a tight voice as Jack stood in front of Mitch. Jack raised an eyebrow before leaning down and kissing Mitch on the cheek. Mitch squeaked and blushed. Jack then stood back up and looked at coach. 

“I know how he acts and what he needs best at this age. He should stay with me until he turns back,” Jack said firmly. 

“Absolutely fucking not,” Marty said from the bench. Jack looked at him, his right eyebrow quirked up. 

“He told me how you guys broke up. You aren’t going near him,”Marty said. Jack rolled his eyes. 

“We broke up because we didn’t want to do the long distance shit anymore. Neither of us are the bad guys here, Martin,” Jack said. Marty sighed. Auston looked at him, questioning Jack’s story, but Marty nodded, confirming it. 

“He will be safe with me. None of you know what his triggers are like I do. Has he even taken his meds today?” Jack asked, looking around the room. Mitch made a squeaking noise, which turns out is pretty common for Mitch. Jack looked down at Mitch. 

“I’ll take that as a no. He needs his meds! Especially at this age, he’s gonna get a world rocking migraine if he doesn’t take them. Matthews why don’t you know this?” Jack asked, leveling Auston with a glare. 

That was the exact moment Naz realized that whatever Jack and Mitch had was a lot more serious than he had thought. 

“He doesn’t take medication. I’ve never seen him with it, right Paul?”Auston asked, looking at Paul for backup. Paul shifted awkwardly. 

“He takes Depacon, every day in the morning. He’d take it after he got back from his stupid ass gym routine that his dad would make him do. His mom fought with his dad for months to get Mitch this medication, because without it, he gets migraines that are bad enough to have him be rendered useless for 12 hours. But, his dad made him play through them until he was 13. Until he passed out on the ice and got a concussion. He takes medication,” Jack said angrily, his body tensing up. 

Auston went to respond, but froze in response to Mitch. Mitch had gone up to Jack and intertwined their hands. Jack looked down at him in surprise. 

“You get upset whenever anyone brings up my life. Looks like you still do,” Mitch mumbled, a blush still dusting his cheeks. Naz spared a glance at Auston, who looked stunned. 

Mitch spoke up to help Auston process, “I don’t know for sure what grown me is thinking. But, at first my dad didn’t know I had the medication. He found the bottle in my room and he-he-uh.” Mitch stuttered out his sentence, having to pause and look down at the floor. Jack squeezed his hand, bending down to rub his spare hand up and down Mitch’s back. Mitch gave a watery smile before continuing. 

“When he found the bottle, he tied me up in the spare room and kept me in there for a week. The only time I would get human interaction, or light, is when he’d come in to either rape or beat me. So, I don’t know what adult me is thinking, but I have to assume he’s terrified to tell you. Reasonably he knows you won’t do that, but that’s what he’s conditioned to think. When Jack found out-I. I was so scared that he was going to do that to me that I avoided him for days, and it took him showing up at my house to get me to talk about it,” Mitch explained. 

The locker room was tense. Marty's hands were clenched into fists, and they were shaking. Patty looked like he was going to be sick to his stomach. Auston looked horrified and ashamed. Naz didn’t know what he felt, it was a mix of anger and utter sadness for the kid.To think Mitch had gone through everything that he had gone through and still went around with his happy and carefree aura amazed Naz. 

“So please, when I turn back. Don’t be mad at him. It’ll make him want to run,” Mitch said, almost ashamed. Jack had a sad look on his face, but it was also obvious he had heard this story before. And as Naz thought about it, he had probably been the one to help piece Mitch back together after that. Naz respected him for that. 

“And, adult me is going to hate myself for admitting this but he can’t get back at me for it so I don’t care,” Mitch started. Jack snorted. 

“I can see you and Jack have this rivalry thing going, and I have a feeling he didn’t tell you that we dated. Don’t get mad for that either. Jack was the first person to, you know, that I wanted him to. Before that it had only been my dad and these random ass guys, all at least 50 and all balding. So please, you can keep the rivalry but don’t be mad at him. We tend to be very secretive,” Mitch said. 

“We?” Auston asked. 

“Me and older me seem to have very different lives. He’s going to bed with a hot boyfriend, playing for my favorite team, having Matt Martin on my team, and I don’t have to worry about getting beaten or raped in the middle of the night. And while I have a hot boyfriend, I can’t say the same for the other parts. Very different people,”Mitch said. Jack sighed, but smirked a bit at Mitch calling him hot. 

“I-I won’t,”Auston said. Mitch nodded before looking at Naz, then at Jack. 

“No offense Naz, but uh, I would prefer to go with Jack. Even if he’s not my age, he’s known me the way I am now. The last thing we need is me having a migraine and you guys not knowing what I need during it. I can’t talk during them, it’s safer to go with Jack,” Mitch said, looking guilty. 

Naz nodded, he understood why Mitch wanted to feel familiar during this time. But, something about letting Mitch out of his sight didn’t sit easy with him. 

Just as coach was about to speak Mitch suddenly fell over. Jack quickly caught him, Marty, Auston, and Paul immediately by his side. 

“He’s turning back,” Paul said. 

“Is my sweater gonna rip?” Jack asked. Paul laughed but shook his head. 

“It’ll grow with him,”Paul confirmed. Jack winked at Auston, who just grumbled in response. The team watched as Mitch regrew, his hair went back to his normal hairstyle, and the bags that were under 15-year old Mitch’s eyes were almost completely gone. After a few seconds Mitch’s eyes opened. 

“What’s happenin’?” Mitch mumbled. Right as Auston was about to answer Paul spoke first. 

“How long have you had the concussion?” Paul asked. Mitch looked confused for a second before he sat up, Jack’s hand bracing his back. 

“What concussion?”Mitch asked. Paul drew back in surprise at that. 

“You didn’t know you had one?” He asked. Mitch shook his head and then looked down. 

“I thought the headaches were just-“ Mitch cut himself off, eyeing his teammates. 

“They know about your migraines, Mitchy,” Jack said. Mitch jumped before looking back at Jack, who smiled at him. Mitch smiled back, his ever so persistent blush returning. 

“Have you been taking your meds?”Paul asked. Mitch nodded, throwing a scared glance toward Auston. Auston responded by grabbing Mitch’s hand and squeezing it, reassuring him. 

Then, because the world loved to kick someone when they’re down, Mitch suddenly paled. 

Most people would think that he was about to puke, but Jack knew better. 

“Get the lights, he’s having a migraine. Someone go in his hockey bag and grab the little baggy he keeps in the side pocket, he has some pills in there,” Jack ordered. He covered Mitch’s eyes with his hand and pushed him down so he was laying down. 

Naz watched in amazement how Jack moved, expertly knowing what to do. From laying him down to opening Mitch’s jaw for him and putting the pills down his throat. 

“He forgot to take his meds a lot, he normally can’t really move once it hits,” Jack explained in a low voice. The team sat in silence for a few minutes before Jack got out his phone. He looked up after a few seconds. 

“I sent you a list of all of his migraine things, his dad things, and his triggers, and names of people who he’s almost 100% sure did stuff to him. This came pretty quickly, so it’ll probably be about a four to five hour long attack.Take care of him, Matthews,” Jack said. He leaned down and kissed Mitch’s forehead before getting up and leaving. 

The team sat in a stunned silence, letting Mitch ride out his migraine. Soon enough, Paul spoke up. 

“We need to move him to a trainers room. You all still have a game to play,” Paul said in a soft voice. Mitch flinched, even at how soft his voice is. Auston nodded. 

He scooped up Mitch bridal style, going as slow as possible as to not disturb Mitch. Naz watched as Auston tenderly walked him to a trainers room. 

It would be pretty damn hard to hate Eichel now. 

-

“Hey Naz, can I talk to you?”Mitch asked from where he was under Auston’s arm. The team had gotten together for a movie night and the rest were asleep, Auston as well. Naz nodded as got head, heading to the kitchen. Mitch carefully slipped out from under Auston’s arm before joining Naz in the kitchen. 

“You feeling okay right?” Naz asked. Mitch rolled his eyes and nodded. 

“It’s nothing like that, just, I never thanked you for watching out for me when I turned. Dealing with me as a teenager can be, intense-I guess,” Mitch said as he took a sip from a bottle of water. 

“Intense?” Naz asked, leaning on the counter. 

“Sometimes when I would meet random women in the street or something, they’d be able to like sense what I had been going through and they’d just start crying. Or give me that kicked puppy dog look.I know hearing about my past can be difficult to say the least,” Mitch said, seeming as if he was deeply thinking about every word he said. 

Naz nodded, “I didn’t see you as a kicked puppy. I saw you as I still see you. It was a bit more jarring seeing it in a teenager though. You looked so grown and weathered. You talked your probably broken bruises off like they were nothing. You-you said you played through a broken arm. So, I wasn’t sad for you. I’m not sad for you. I respect you, and part of me looks up to you. You dealt-and deal with all of that and you still walk around as if you grew up surrounded by kittens and puppies at all times. You’re amazing, Mouse,”Naz said. Mitch blinked at him in surprise before smiling. 

“Thanks, for not being sad for me. Gets pretty annoying having people be sad for you,” Mitch said. Naz nodded at him. 

“You and Eichel, you were in love, huh?” Naz asked, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his bounds. Mitch let out a small laugh, more a huff of air. 

“Jack was the first person to really care for me. Sure, my mom and brother both did but. Jack yelled at my dad once, that was something neither my brother or mom did. He was the first person to have sex with me that I wanted. He knew me better than I knew me. He was stupidly over protective and I was deeply in love with him. But, long distance is taxing and we just-couldn’t do it anymore. So we broke up after the draft on mutual terms. There’s always a part of me that will love him. If Auston didn’t hate him, I’d be around him a lot more often. So yea, we were in love,”Mitch said. Naz found himself stunned. This kid talked so much wiser than his years. 

“And your crush on Marty?” Naz asked, smirking in hope to lighten the mood. Mitch laughed. 

“Still stands. I couldn’t even watch Isles games cause I’d blush too much whenever he was on screen,” Mitch said, his head hung low in embarrassment. 

“I won’t tell him,” Naz promised. Mitch smiled before flinching. 

“Sorry,” Auston mumbled in a hoarse voice, still heavy from sleep. He came up behind Mitch, wrapping his arms around Mitch’s waist and tucking his face in Mitch’s neck. 

Mitch gave a fond smile, one that Naz would normally fine him for just having, but he let it go. 

“Ready to go home?” Mitch asked in a stupidly soft voice. Auston nodded and squeezed his arms around Mitch before letting go. 

“You’re driving, I’d fall asleep at the wheel and kill us,” Auston said as he walked toward his shoes. He reminded Naz of a zombie. 

“Well, thanks again Naz. See you on Tuesday,” Mitch said with a smile. He slid on his slides, that he had stupidly worn, before going to where Auston was holding his arm out. Auston wrapped it around Mitch’s waist, tucking his hand in Mitch’s back pocket. 

“50 bucks,” Naz said as they walked out the door. Naz heard some protesting from Auston before the door shut behind them. 

Naz was happy that Mitch was happy. The kid deserved it.

**Author's Note:**

> comments feed the writer!
> 
> writing tumblr:@never-ending-winter


End file.
